Monday, May 22, 2017

"Scheduling will play a factor
on her starring in the pic’s title role"

-- Bride of Frankenstein has a script, a director and a release date. It's ready to go. She has no other project in development that already has a director, and there has been no word on a search for prospective directors. The scripts are likely not ready yet. The only project that has a release date tentatively staked out is Maleficent 2 -- one of several unnamed live-action fairy tales in Disney's announced schedule.

Unless there is suddenly progress on Maleficent 2, she should be free to do Bride later this year. Ad Astra starts filming July 17 and should be done by Fall. The intensive course she will be lecturing for at the LSE is only for 2 days: Sept. 21 - 22. The question really is if she likes the script and director Bill Condon. Maleficent 2 will likely take priority if it's also ready to go. She has a very good relationship with the scriptwriter, Linda Woolverton, and they can collaborate in taking the character in daring directions. She and Elle Fanning also got along very well. But there has been no recent update.

It seems highly unlikely that Universal would go so far as to set a release date if it didn't already have a star set for the film. It's notable that no other name has been mentioned as an alternative -- and it has to be a big name given the lineup they've assembled.

-- She has a number of things with a "pending" status at the moment: the dissolution petition, the purchase of the DeMille estate, and her next film commitment.

The pic is the studio’s second entry in its newly announced “Dark Universe,” which kicks off with “The Mummy” — Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella — on June 9.

The studio has also announced a logo for the new initiative (pictured
above). A musical theme for “Dark Universe” composed by Danny Elfman
and will debut in theaters preceding “The Mummy.”

The enterprise is relaunching Universal’s iconic characters into
modern cinema. While “The Mummy” and “Bride of Frankenstein” are the
only two films in the initiative to be dated, the studio is currently
developing “The Invisible Man” with Johnny Depp set to star, and a
“Frankenstein” film with Javier Bardem on board to play the classic
monster. “Van Helsing” and “Creature From the Black Lagoon” films are
also planned.

“Dark Universe” was begun by core creatives Alex Kurtzman, who serves
as director and producer of “The Mummy,” and “The Mummy” producer Chris
Morgan. Also joining the enterprise to inspire and entertain a new
generation are such talents as Oscar winner Christopher McQuarrie and
David Koepp.

As for “The Bride of Frankenstein,”Angelina Jolie had been linked to
the project for some time but insiders say scheduling will play a factor
on her starring in the pic’s title role.

“I’m very excited to bring a new Bride of Frankenstein to life on
screen, particularly since James Whale’s original creation is still so
potent,” stated Condon. “The Bride of Frankenstein remains the most
iconic female monster in film history, and that’s a testament to Whale’s
masterpiece—which endures as one of the greatest movies ever made.”